1. Field of the Invention
A spool holder for holding thread spools with a cylindrical and/or conical core employs a carrier arm oriented substantially horizontal; the carrier arm has(a) a contact surface for supporting the upper portion of the core wall, (b) an abutment for the front face of the core, and (c) at least one support element for contacting the lower portion of the core wall.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In order to hold spools which are in use securely upon a spool holder, spring loaded arrangements are generally used wherein the core is clamped onto the carrier arm. Thus, the art discloses, in German Utility Model G 90 00 818.9, a spool holder of the general type described above, wherein the support element is formed by coiled spring fingers which press the upper portion of the core onto the support surface of the carrier arm, so the core face rests securely behind an abutment surface running perpendicular to the carrier axis.
The removal of the empty cores thus occurs by lifting the core face surface and applying an axial force to overcome the spring force.
Even when there is no stop and the core is held merely by spring force against the carrier arm, it is necessary to take special steps to clear the cores from the carrier. For the circulating creel of U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,844, a stripping means is required for grasping the empty core as the appropriate carrier arm swings downwardly from its horizontal orientation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a spool holder of the type described hereinabove, wherein the spool is securely held on the carrier arm during use, but nevertheless the empty spool can be readily discharged by a simple downward tilting of the carrier arm.